Number 2 fuel

Scientists at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) have invented the No-Mix Toilet, which separates liquid and solid wastes by using vacuum suction technology. The units require 0.2 litres of water for flushing liquids and one litre of water for flushing solids. The toilets are expected to reduce water consumption for flushing up to 90 per cent when compared to current systems in Singapore. According to a recent NTU news release, if the new toilet was installed in a public restroom in Singapore, where the current conventional water closet uses four to six litres of water per flush, and was flushed 100 times a day, the system would save approximately 160 000 litres of water per year. Liquid waste will be sent to a processing facility to recover components used in fertilizers, such as nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium, while solid waste is diverted to a bioreactor to be digested to release bio-gas containing methane. The methane gas will then be used in stoves for cooking or converted to electricity to fuel power plants or fuel cells. NTU scientists are planning on carrying out trials with the system in two NTU restrooms.